(near Coin, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 1-a.m. Saturday in Montgomery County, resulted in an OWI arrest. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a vehicle driven by 47-year-old Jessie Gregory McFarland, of Farragut, was pulled over at 260th Street and B Avenue, west of Coin. Upon further investigation, McFarland was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

(State/Area News) – Iowans will head to their polling sites Tuesday, November 7, 2023, to cast ballots in their respective county for City and School Elections. The polls are Tuesday from 7-a.m. until 8-p.m.  A reminder from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office: Absentee ballots must be received by the respective county auditor by 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Iowans looking for their polling location, Voter ID requirements or to track the status of their absentee ballot should visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov. All 99 counties will conduct post-election audits for the City-School Election. On Wednesday, November 8, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office will conduct a random drawing to select one precinct in each county to be audited.

In the KJAN listening area, here are just a few of the contested races we will be following (The results will be posted on our News page soon after they come in from the county auditor’s offices or the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, whichever comes first):

In Cass County, Ben Daughenbaugh and Kevin Littleton are vying to become Mayor, in Anita, while three people are running for two seats on the Anita City Council. They include Mark Harms, Cheryl Sokol and Roger L. Huffman. In Atlantic, incumbent Pat McCurdy faces a challenge from Mike McDermott for the City Council Ward 3 seat, and, incumbent Linda J. Hartkopf is being challenged for the Ward 4 seat by Shawn Sarsfield.

In Lewis, Rick Sanny and Russell Hansen are running for Mayor. Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Lewis City Council: Roy O. Wheatley; Betty F. Auten; Russell L. Miller; Leland M. Baxter; Roger Lockwood; Larry W. Perdue, Jr., & Donna Roberts. And, there are five candidates for three At-Large seats on the Atlantic School Board, including: Kristen Holoday; Gini Jordan; Jordan Dailey; Jodi Stowater-Goodrich, and, incumbent Laura McLean.

In Adair County, Joanne Byars and Kim Hodne are running to become Mayor in Adair. Seven candidates are running for 3 At-Large seats on the Adair City Council. There are also three candidates for two Director At-Large seats on the Adair-Casey School Board, and a Public Measure with regard to the adoption/renewal of a Revenue Purpose Statement.  In Bridgwater, two candidates are running to fill a vacancy seat on the city council. Four people are running to fill 3 At-Large seats on the city council in Casey. There are also 3 candidates running to fill 3 At-Large vacancy seats on the Fontanelle City Council, and three running for two At-Large seats on the city council in Stuart.

Voters in Adams County will select 2 of three candidates for At-Large Lenox School Board Director, and there are Public Measures to vote on in Corning as well as Prescott.

In Audubon County, five candidates are vying for two seats on the Audubon City Council, Tuesday. There’s also a Public Measure for Audubon residents to vote on, with regard to a 1% local sales & service tax for street construction and repair. Three people are running to become Mayor in Brayton. Four candidates are running for three seats on the Brayton City Council. Exira voters will decide the fate of a Public Measure pertaining to the composition of the Library Board of Trustees. Three candidates are running for two seats on the City Council in Kimballton, and five people are running for 3 At-Large seats on the Audubon School Board, while only three people have filed to run for 4 At-Large seats on the Exira-EHK School Board.

Other City races can be found: in Guthrie County, and, for the Panorama School District; The Mayor’s contest in Grant and City Council At-Large in Villisca; Council elections in Avoca, Walnut, Elk Horn, and Harlan, and School Board elections in the Riverside, Tri-Center and IKM-Manning School Districts, along with a variety of Public Measures in those communities and/or school districts.

(Radio Iowa) – Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is urging Iowa Democrats to back Joe Biden’s bid for re-election. Fetterman was the keynote speaker this weekend at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual Liberty and Justice fundraiser. “If you are a Democrat that wants to criticize and go after Joe Biden, our president, just go ahead and write a check for Trump,” Fetterman said. Fetterman, who won a seat in the U-S Senate last year, says he got to know Biden when the president campaigned with him in Pennsylvania.

“He is a strong, decent, committed dude,” Fetterman said, to applause. Fetterman blasted James Carville, a widely known Democratic pundit who has criticized Biden and Fetterman accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of running a shadow campaign for president. Fetterman drew the crowd of Iowa Democrats to their feet as he made his pitch for the party to unify behind Biden. “He is your president. He is my president. He is our guy!” Fetterman said.

Iowa Democrats will hold in-person Caucuses on January 15th, but the results from a new mail-in system using presidential preference cards won’t be announced until March.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds will endorse Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis this (Monday) evening at a rally in Des Moines according to sources familiar with the governor’s plans. Reynolds has appeared with the Florida Governor often in Iowa, starting in March during DeSantis’ first visit to the state. Early this year, Reynolds said she intended to remain neutral, so all candidates would feel welcome to campaign in Iowa, but after she hosted most of the candidates at the Iowa State Fair, Reynolds indicated she wa considering an endorsement.

In late August, the chairman of the Iowa G-O-P told Radio Iowa Reynolds is likely the only Republican in Iowa whose endorsement could move the needle for a candidate. Reynolds is viewed favorably by a solid majority of Iowa Republicans according to polling and the recent Des Moines Register “Iowa Poll” shows DeSantis is in a battle for second place with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in Iowa. On Sunday, former President Trump called Reynolds disloyal.

The Trump campaign calls her appearance at tonight’s DeSantis rally the beginning of the Reynolds retirement tour. DeSantis often contrasts how he and Reynolds easily won reelection with Trump’s 2020 loss. “This nomination is not something you’re entitled to. You have to earn it,” DeSantis said during an interview Friday night. “…You have places like Iowa under your governor and Florida where we’ve shown how Republicans can win.”

During DeSantis’ book tour in March, the two governors were on stage together and touted their approaches to the pandemic and their decisions to re-open schools in Iowa and Florida. “They called Kim and I a lot of names for doing that,” DeSantis said. Reynolds interjected, drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd: “I think you were ‘DeathSantis.’ Is that right? ‘COVID Kim’ and ‘DeathSantis.’ Who was right, by the way?” At a fundraiser for Congressman Randy Feenstra this spring, DeSantis made a similar argument.

“Governing is not about entertaining. Governing is not about building a brand or talking on social media and virtue signalling. It’s ultimately about winning and about producing results and that’s what you’ve done in Iowa and that’s what we’ve done in Florida,” DeSantis said, to applause.

Since 1980, just one other governor has endorsed a presidential candidate before the Iowa Caucuses. Terry Branstad endorsed Bob Dole and campaigned for the Kansas Senator before the 1996 Iowa Caucuses. Senator Chuck Grassley endorsed Dole before the Caucuses in 1988 and 1996, but has not publicly endorsed a candidate since. then.

Update 9:12-a.m. 11/6: Toledo, Iowa – UPDATE: The children have been safely located. The advisory is canceled.

Toledo, Iowa – This is an endangered person advisory on behalf of the Toledo Police Department via the Iowa Department of Public Safety, as of 11:30-p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023:

An endangered person advisory is being issued for 9-year-old Billy Hernandez-Alvarado and his 8-year-old sister, Ashley Hernandez-Alvarado. Billy and Ashley were reported missing Sunday evening,  November 5, 2023. They are believed to be with their mother, 33-year-old Ciria Alvarado-Argueta, and 28-year-old Alexis Alvarez-Gomez in either a gray 2014 Nissan Quest (Iowa license plate NVB078) or a white 2022 Kia Sorento (Iowa license plate LLS086).

Based on information discovered during the investigation, law enforcement considers Billy and Ashley to be endangered.

Billy is an Hispanic male, 5 feet, 80 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He wears prescription glasses. Ashley is a female, 5 feet, 80 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She wears prescription glasses. She sometimes goes by “Nicole”.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Billy or Ashley is asked to call 911 or the Tama County Communications Center at 641-484-3760 extension 1.

(Creston, Iowa) – A man who authorities say has had a stroke, and appeared to have medical issues “which impair his ability to operate a vehicle safely,” crashed the pickup he was driving into a legally parked SUV, late Sunday morning, in Creston. According to Creston Police, 82-year-old Roland Dean Waters, of Creston, was traveling south on Walnut Street in Creston at around 11:14-a.m., when his pickup hit a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the rear, causing severe damage to both vehicles.

Waters complained of pain and possible injury, following the collision. He was transported by EMS to the hospital in Creston. Damage from the collision amounted to $11,000.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a man from Shelby County complained of pain/possible injury, following an accident Thursday night. In their report released Sunday morning, authorities said a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by 19-year-old Brady Christopher Gross, of Irwin, left Union Street from an unknown location at a slow speed at around 10:05-p.m., and struck a 1997 International semi** tractor-trailer that was legally parked in a parking lot.

Police say the pickup’s accelerator was depressed for an extended period of time while in drive, causing the rear tires to catch fire. The flames encompassed the rest of the truck. A bystander pulled Gross from the vehicle. Authorities say he appeared to be highly intoxicated. Brady Gross was taken to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, by EMS.

A blood sample was requested and obtained. It was sent to the lab to determine if OWI charges will be filed. Damages from the collision amounted to $9,000.

**Creston Police corrected the year/make of the semi in an updated report

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on alcohol and drug charges this (Sunday) morning. 35-year-old Lucas James Bogart, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 2:30-a.m. in the 2300 block of Eastern Avenue, for Consumption or Intoxication in Public Places, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bogart was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Cascade, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol reports four people were injured Saturday night, when the pickup truck they were in went out of control and rolled into a ditch before landing on its wheels. Three of the four occupants were ejected from the vehicle. None of the injured were wearing a seat belt.

The Patrol says the accident happened at around 9:36-p.m. on southbound 9th Avenue near Cascade, when the driver lost control of the 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup.

Two of the injured were transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic, two other were transported by Cascade EMS to Finley Hospital in Dubuque. No names have been released as of this report. The crash remained under investigation.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports five recent arrests. Late Friday morning, 35-year-old Kayla Sue Hoffman, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Courthouse, on a Union County Warrant for Theft 3rd-Enhanced resulting from two prior convictions. Hoffman was taken to the Union County Jail then transferred to the Adams County where she was later released on $2000 cash or surety bond.

Friday afternoon, 42-year-old Nicholas Edward Giesken, of Creston, was arrested in the 800 block of W. Howard Street, in Creston, on a Union County Warrant for Attempted Burglary in the 1st Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree (damages $300-750), and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree (Damage under $300). Giesken was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on an $11,000 cash or surety bond.

At around 2:10-a.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested 31-year-old Kevin William Wessel, of Greenfield. Wessel was taken into custody at the Creston Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC),  and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/1st Offense, along with OWI /2nd offense. Wessel was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.

Saturday night, 53-year-old Lisa Kay Foster, of Creston, was arrested at her residence on a Union County Warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree- via Communication. Foster was taken to the Union County Jail and later transported to the Adams County Jail, where she was being held without bond until seen by the Judge.

And, at around 3:34-a.m. today (Sunday), 42-year-old Amanda Marie Nelson, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Nelson was cited and released on Promise to Appear.